Keaton Verhoeff

Keaton Verhoeff
Born (2008-06-19) June 19, 2008
Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 212 lb (96 kg; 15 st 2 lb)
Position Defenseman
Shoots Right
NCAA team North Dakota Fighting Hawks
NHL draft Eligible 2026

Keaton Verhoeff (born June 19, 2008) is a Canadian college ice hockey defenseman for the North Dakota Fighting Hawks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). He previously played two seasons for the Victoria Royals of the Western Hockey League, and is considered a top prospect for the 2026 NHL entry draft.[1]

Playing career

Junior

Verhoeff had originally started playing hockey as a goaltender, and switched to defense when he was 12. He was drafted by the Victoria Royals fourth overall in the 2023 Western Hockey League (WHL) draft.[2]

On December 5, 2023, Verhoeff made his WHL debut with the Royals.[3] He would play in 11 more games with the club, scoring two assists. He would also be held scoreless in four playoff games.

Verhoeff entered his first full WHL season with high expectations. After leaving the team early in the season to represent Canada at the 2024 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, Verhoeff returned and impressed.[4] Verhoeff's play would lead to being named the WHL Rookie of the Week in mid-December, as well as being named a finalist for the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy for the WHL's top rookie.[5][6] In total, Verhoeff would finish his with 21 goals and 24 assists for 45 points in 63 games, setting the franchise record for goals by a defenseman, as well as becoming the third 16-year old defenseman in WHL history to score more than 16 goals in a season.[7] He also added a goal and nine assists in 10 playoff games.

Collegiate

After the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced in November 2024 that they would allow CHL players to join college ice hockey starting in 2025-26, many speculated if Verhoeff would be one to take advantage of the new opportunity. On May 30, 2025, Verhoeff, alongside Royals teammate Cole Reschny, announced their commitment to North Dakota State University to join the Fighting Hawks.[8]

International play

Medal record
Representing  Canada
Ice hockey
World U-17 Hockey Challenge
Gold medal – first place 2024 Canada
IIHF World U18 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2025 United States
Hlinka Gretzky Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2025 Czechia/Slovakia

Verhoeff has represented Canada on the international stage, playing for the team during the 2024 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, 2025 IIHF World U18 Championships, where he won gold both times, and the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. [9][10][11] He captained Canada White in 2024, and will serve as an alternate captain at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where Canada earned bronze.[12]


Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2023–24 Victoria Royals WHL 12 0 2 2 2 4 0 0 0 2
2024–25 Victoria Royals WHL 63 21 24 45 14 11 1 9 10 2
WHL totals 75 21 26 47 16 15 1 9 10 4

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2024 Canada White U17 1st place, gold medalist(s) 5 1 4 5 2
2025 Canada U18 1st place, gold medalist(s) 5 1 4 5 2
2025 Canada HG18 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 5 1 3 4 0
Junior totals 15 3 11 14 4

References

  1. ^ Ellis, Steven. "Keaton Verhoeff, Ryan Lin highlight top NHL Draft prospects on Canada's 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup roster". Daily Faceoff. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  2. ^ Dheensaw, Cleve (2023-05-12). "Royals select dynamic goalie-turned-defenceman fourth overall in WHL draft". Times Colonist. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  3. ^ Trozzo, Tony (2023-12-07). "Keaton Verhoeff Shines in WHL Debut". Victoria Royals. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  4. ^ Zanotto, Remy (2024-10-10). "Keaton Verhoeff to Represent Canada at 2024 World Under-17 Challenge". Victoria Royals. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  5. ^ Zanotto, Remy (2024-12-16). "Keaton Verhoeff Named WHL Rookie of the Week". Victoria Royals. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  6. ^ Zanotto, Remy (2025-04-03). "Keaton Verhoeff Named Finalist for Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy for Rookie of the Year". Victoria Royals. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  7. ^ Zanotto, Remy (2025-05-01). "Victoria Royals Announce Team Awards Recipients". Victoria Royals. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  8. ^ Moon, Eric (2025-05-30). "UND Hockey receives two commitments from highly-touted NHL prospects". www.valleynewslive.com. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  9. ^ Zanotto, Remy (2024-10-10). "Keaton Verhoeff to Represent Canada at 2024 World Under-17 Challenge". Victoria Royals. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  10. ^ Trozzo, Troy (2025-04-28). "Victoria Royals' Reschny, Verhoeff suit up for Team Canada at U18 Worlds". Sooke News Mirror. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  11. ^ "Verhoeff fronts Canada's roster for the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup". FCHockey. 2025-08-03. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  12. ^ Bukauskas, Cory (2025-08-08). "Verhoeff, DuPont, Rudolph to Captain Canada at 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup". Western Hockey League. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
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